Hydrokinetic turbine torque converter



Feb. 12, 1952 R. w.- GREGG 2,585,309

HYDROKINETIC TURBINE TORQUE CONVERTER Filed July 21. 1945 3 sheetsfileet 1 0} g s g N G E Q INVENTORI 3115x011 Wreg A TTORN S.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

; ATTORNE &

R. W. GREGG HYDROKINETI C TURBINE TORQUE CONVERTER N. Q. r 42 I a B x N MN 1 I 1 l J I N Q s w\\ 1 H k\|| as w% h Feb. 12, 1952 Filed July '21. 1945 Feb. 12, 1952 R. w. GREGG 2,585,309

HYDROKINEITIC TURBINE TORQUE CONVERTER Filed July 21, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 12, 1952 HY DROKINETIC TURBINE TORQUE- CON VERTER Russell W. Gregg, Massillon, Ohio Application July 21,1945, Serial No. 606,305

4 Claims.

The invention relates to fluid. drives for automobiles and similar vehicles and more particularly to a device of this character which will act as a simple fluid coupling or instantly become a torque converter when necessary.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character in which fluid flows at approximately a uniform flow throughout the circuit.

Another object is to provide such a device in which the fluid is directed by guide vanes into runner vanes at maximum tangential velocity thus imparting maximum torque and turning moment to the runner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character having a single stage runner to absorb the energy of the fluid with no further interference with the flow.

A further object is to provide such a device in which the runner vanes have the proper curvature to absorb the maximum kinetic energy of the fluid.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character in which the reaction guide vanes are so constructed and spaced as to cause a minimum turbulence and guide the liquid into a theoretically correct spiral path tangentially away from the impeller and into the driven runner vanes at the proper angle to impart the maximum kinetic energy to the driven runner.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character referred to in which the reaction guide vanes are carried by a reaction element interposed between the impeller and the driven runner and moving in the same direction as the impeller.

Another object is to provide such a device in which the reaction element moves at substantially one-third the impeller speed so as to impart added kinetic force to the fluid due to the reaction of fluid flowing through the reaction guide vanes.

A further object is to provide a device of this character in which the reaction element is driven by planetary gearing meshing with a sun gearon the impeller shaft thus causing approximately one-third of the reaction force to be carried by freely with the impeller and driven runner, thus acting as a simple fluid coupling but instantly becoming a torque converter when necessary.

Another object is to provide such a device in which all of the vanes or blades are press-formed and brazed into place to form elements with the least possible resistance to the flow of fluid and able to effect the greatest possible transfer of energy.

The above objects. together with others which will be apparent from the drawings and following description, or which may be, later referred to, may be attained by constructing thedevice in the manner hereinafter described in, detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, showing the application of the device to an automobile;

Fig. 2 a fragmentary sectional elevation taken as on the line 2-2, Fig. 1,;

Fig. 3 a longitudinal sectional view through the improved fluid drive or torque converter;

Fig. 4 a transverse sectional view of the impeller, reaction element and driven runner, taken as on the line l--4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 a transverse section through the planetary gearing, taken as on the line 55, Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 a transverse sectional view through the one-way roller clutch, taken as on the line 6--6, Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 a vertical sectional view through the solenoid valve;

Fig. "8 a fra mentary sectional view through the impeller, taken as on the line 88, Fig. 4;

Fig. .9 a fragmentary sectional view through the reaction guide member, taken as on the line 9-9, Fig. 4;

Fig.- 10 a fragmentary sectional view through the runner, taken as on the line 'lD-IO, Fig. 4;

and a Fig. 11 a detached vertical sectional view through the governor.

Referring first to Fi ure 1 the improved fluid drive and torque converter to which the invention pertains is shown applied to an automobile or similar vehicle for providing a fluid drive there for. A portion of the floorboards of the automobile are indicated at [5 and the throttle pedal i indicated at I6, 2. breaker switch I! being shown diagrammatically below the throttle pedal and arranged to be opened thereby.

The fly wheel of the engine is indicated at l8 and a portion of the engine shaft upon which it it mounted is shown at 69. A housing 20 is shown enclosing the combined fluid drive and torque converted to which the invention pertains, which is shown in elevation in Figure 1 and indicated therein generally by the numeral 2 I.

The gear housing 22 is provided for the conventional planetary reverse and low gear, the driven shaft from the torque converter being indicated at 23. A governor 24 is shown associated with the shaft 23, the vertical shaft 25 of the governor being provided with a spiral pinion 26 meshing with a spiral pinion 21 upon the shaft 23. A housing 28 encloses this spiral gear drive and is attached to the adjacent end of the reverse and low gear housing 22.

The governor 24 is connected by a wire 29 with the battery 30 and by a wire 3| with the ground. The governor is also connected by the wires 32 and 33 with one side of the breaker switch I1, the other side of said switch being connected to the ground as by the wire 34. The wire 33 also connects the governor to one side of the solenoid coil 35, the other side of the coil being connected by a wire 36 to the governor 24.

The armature 31 of the solenoid coil has a valve connected thereto comprising the spaced valve members 38 and 39 with the reduced stem 40 interposed therebetween, this valve being longitudinally slidable within the passage 4|, one side of which is connected by the spaced pipes 42 and 43 with the vacuum reserve tank 44 and the air intake 45 respectively. A pipe 46 leads from the'vacuum reserve tank 44 to the intake manifold of the motor and a check valve 41 is provided-therein.

A pipe 48 communicates with the other side of the passage 4| at a point intermediate the pipes 42and 43 and leads to the vacuum cylinder 49, the diaphragm 58 of which is connected by a link '5I to the clutch throw out lever 52 for operating a friction clutch forming a part 'of the improved fluid drive and torque converted and located within the cylindrical housing 53.

' A fluid supply tank 54 is located above the level of the fluid drive and torque converter device and connected thereto by a pipe 55 for the purpose of maintaining the device filled with fluid at all times.

'Referring now more particularly to Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive, the impeller shaft 56 is journalled near one end within the stationary sleeve 51 carried by the housing indicated generally at 20, bymeans of a ball bearing 58, and an oil'seal 59' may be provided around this end portion of the shaft. The other end of the shaft 56 may be reduced and journalled within the cup 66 upon the adjacent end of the drive shaft 23 by means of the ball bearing 6|.

The impeller may include a collar 62 fixed upon the impeller shaft 56 and the annular wall 63 fixed upon said collar, a plurality of arcuate impeller vanes 64 being connected to the annular wall 63 near its peripheral portion and also connected at their opposite sides to the ring 65; The vanes are press formed with the annular flanges 66 on each side, tapered as shown in Fig. 8 and brazed to the wall 63 and ring 65.

The reaction guide member may comprise an annular wall 61, the inner portion of which is fixed to a ring 68 journalled upon the impeller shaft 56 as'by the ball bearing 69. A ring 10 is fixed to the peripheral portion of the annular wall 61 :and may be offset around 15313-1 4 ner edge as at H to interfit the similar shaped peripheral portion of the annular wall 63 of the impeller.

The reaction vanes 12 are connected to the ring 18 and to a ring 13 spaced therefrom, each vane having the tapered flanges 14 at each side brazed to the rings 19 and 13.

Four short shafts 15 are carried by the ring 68 and annular wall 61 of the reaction guide member and upon each shaft is journalled, by means of a roller bearing 16, a planetary gear 11 meshing with the sun gear 18 which is keyed upon the impeller shaft 56 as indicated at 19 and meshing also with the internal gear formed within a cup 8| provided with the reduced cylindrical flange portion 82 having a plurality of inclined notches 83 around its inner surface to receive the rolls 84 which roll upon the fixed sleeve 51 thus forming a oneway roller clutch..

The runner comprises a hub 85 journalled upon the fixed sleeve 51, as by the ball hearing 86, and having an annular wall 81 fixed thereto, to the peripheral portion of which is connected a ring 88 surrounding the ring 18 of the reaction guide member and offset around its inner edge as at 89 to interfit with the similarly shaped peripheral portion of the ring 16.

The runner vanes 99 are provided at their ends with the tapered flanges 9| brazed to the ring 88 and to the ring 92 which is spaced therefrom and surrounds the ring 13 of the reaction member.

A wider ring 93 may be detachably connected to the ring 92 as by screws 94 and overlays the rings 13 and 65 of the reaction guide member and impeller respectively. The transversely curved annular wall 95 is detachably connected to the peripheral portion of the ring 88 as by bolts 96 located therethrough and through the annular reinforcing frame 91 of the wall 95, a gasket 98 being interposed for forming a liquid tight joint.

The inner edge of the annular wall 95 terminates adjacent to the impeller shaft 56 thus forming together with the wall 63 of the impeller, an annular chamber within which the fluid may be circulated through the vanes of the impeller, the reaction guide member and the runner.

A'fluid' seal is formed between the stationary sleeve 51 and the hub 85 of the runner is indicated at 99. A cylindrical collar I80 is welded or otherwise attached to the wall 95 of the runner and a ball bearing I9I is interposed between said collar and the impeller shaft 56. A'liquid seal I82 may be provided beyond the ball bearing IOI, which together with the liquid seals 59 and 99 prevent any leakage of fluid from the device. A disc I63 may be welded to the wall 95 of the runner and provided with a flange I84 welded to the cylindrical collar I00 to reinforce the same.

A clutch is provided by means of which the runner may be operatively connected to the impeller shaft. This clutch includes the cylindrical housing 53 which is provided at its inner end with a flared annular flange I85 which may be welded or otherwise attached to the annular wall 95 of the runner, the other end of said cylindrical housing having an outturned flange I66 which is connected as by screws I01 with the disc I68 having an outturned annular flange I09 fixed upon the cup 68 of the drive shaft 23.

A s atippary clutch member which may be in the form of a metal ring III), is connected to the cylindrical housing 53 as by the flanged ring III which may be welded to the housing 53 andthe ring H0. The disc H2 is fixed to the impeller shaft 56 as by the flanged ring H3 welded or otherwise mounted upon the hub Ht which may be splined upon -the shaft and a pair of friction rings H5 are connected to opposite sides of the disc H2 as by the rivets H6.

The movable clutch ring H1 is normally held in contact with the adjacent friction surface of the disc H2, holding the other friction surface thereof in engagement with the stationary ring H as by means of coil springs H8 interposed betweenthe ring H1 and the cups H9 in the disc wall I08.

Levers I20 may be fulcrumed as at 52! upon the studs I22 carried by the wall I08, the outer ends of the levers engaging the pins I23 upon the lugs I24 formed upon the movable ring. Hl while the inner ends of the levers are engaged by the studs I25 carried by the sliding collar I25 adapted to be slidably moved upon the shaft 23 by means of the clutch lever 52 to release the clutch and permit the runner to rotate relative to the impeller shaft 56. I

The friction clutch above described is for the purpose of obtaining a direct drive between the engine and the drive shaft 23 and when the motor is not running this friction clutch remains engaged, as shown in Fig. 3, due to the vacuum pressure being absent. This friction clutch is operated by the vacuum cylinder 49 which is con trolled by the solenoid valve shown in detail in Fig. 7, said valve being actuated by the throttle pedal I6 and the governor 24.

When the engine is started, with the solenoid valve in the position shown in Fig. 7, vacuum from the engine, through the pipe 42, passes through the solenoid valve to the pipe 38 and then to the vacuum cylinder 49 drawing the diaphragm 50 thereof away from the position shown in Fig. 1 and operating the lever 52 to push the collar I 25 toward the friction clutch, the studs I25 upon said collar operating the levers I20 and pulling the movable clutch ring H'I away from contact with the clutch disc H2 disengaging the clutch and holding it disengaged when the car is moving at speeds below 10 miles per hour.

When accelerating, after the car is started, the control of the friction clutch is through the throttle pedal I and the governor 24. The device is preferably so adjusted that in the to 50 miles per hour speed range the throttle pedal and breaker switch I! will break the solenoid circuit at any time the throttle is advanced beyond a pre-determined position, causing the solenoid valve to move to a position to open the vac umn pipe 42 and close the air pipe 43 permitting vacuum to pass therethrough and through the pipe 48 to the vacuum cylinder 49 disengaging the clutch, causing torque to be transmitted by the hydro unit.

When the throttle pedal is released the throttle switch closes the solenoid circuit and the solenoid valve is operated to close the vacuum line 42 and open the air line 43 permitting air to enter the vacuum cylinder 69 and move'the diaphragm 50 thereof to the position shown in Fig. 1, operating the lever 52 through the link 5I and moving it to the position shown in said figure permitting the springs H8 to move .the movable clutch ring H! to the engaged position.

At approximately 50 miles per hour the governor 22 closes-the ground circuit 3|, 32 of the solenoid 35,,and overrules the throttle controlled switch I? thus causing engagement of, or pre-- venting disengagement of the clutch at any speed above miles per hour.

The vacuum cylinder 49 may be rendered inoperative at any time by a valve '42a, for starting the car by towing, coasting or the like, otherwise the vacuum cylinder would disengage the clutch before reaching a speed of ten miles per hour.-

When the clutch is disengaged the'turning moment through the hydro unit is insufiicient below 10 miles per hour car speed, to start the motor by towing, coasting, or the like. The car'is' started by hand movement of a conventional master clutch control and accelerated through the hydro unit. The torque transmitted by the hydro unitvaries as the square of the speed of the impeller (T=KS Thus the hydro unit entirely displaces gear trains and gear shifting in the ordinary use of the internal combustion engine. The conventional master clutch control is in no way con-- nected to' the above described hydro unit clutch and operates independently thereof. This master clutch control also regulates the planetary low and reverse gears;

In the car speed range between 10 and 50 miles per hour more rapid acceleration or increased. torque is achieved by pressing the throttle pedal beyond the point at which the throttle switch breaks the solenoid circuit and the solenoid-valve operates the vacuum line to the vacuum cylinder and disengages the clutch, causingtorque to be transmitted by the hydro unit.

As the impeller is rotated in counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. L the fluid will be discharged centrifugally outwa'rdjiby the impeller vanes-64 againstthe reactionguide vanes I2 which are driven in the same direction. and at about one-third the speed of the impeller vanes, the reaction guide vanes .being so constructed and spaced as to cause minimum tur'-. bulence of the fluid and to guide it into atheoretically correct spiral path tangentially/away from the impeller and into the runner vanes-90. at the proper angle to impart the maximum kinetic energy to drive the runner;

When the reaction force on the vanes is re moved by equalization of torque, the roller clutch shown in Fig. 6, allows the reaction guide vanes to rotate freelywith the impeller andthedriven runner, thus acting "as a simple fluid coupling but instantly becoming a torque converter when necessary. r

The one stage runner-permits higher velocity of fluid and consequently greater'energy conver--' sion thereby, and'a'l'so permits the use of the forwardly curving vanes. The moving reaction element reduces shock'losses' at the. exit of the vanes and thus results in'increased efliciency;

The forwardly curved vanes in the impeller, plus the moving reaction member, plus the single stage runner plus-the unobstructed flow of fluid equals highest-efficiency, because the high velocity of the fluidmeans greater -momentum. Angular velocity times momentum change equals power. I 1

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained'the" principle of my invention and described one embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as "specifically apeasoa 7 illustrated and described, the invention residing in the general principles of construction and operation set forth in the claims, regardless of the specific mechanism by which this may be accomplished.

The intermediate rotating member is a combination reaction and guide runner whose function is to direct and increase the angular momentum and velocity of fluid leavin the impeller and reduce shock and turbulence incident to the passage of fluid from the impeller to the runner which is an inherent cause of loss of efficiency in machines of this class, as losses are proportional to the square of flow velocity of the fluid. The intermediate runner reduces total loss by dividing shock as said intermediate rotating member rotates 33% of impeller speed. Total momentum of the fluid is increased.

The intermediate rotating member has the characteristics of multiplicities of jets giving the runner the characteristics of a reaction turbine at low speed, but at high speed the runner assumes the character of an impulse turbine and has the properties of controlling theangle at which the fluid leaves the impeller and enters the driven runner, thus giving the machine performance characteristics closely following the theoretically designed performance and raises the efliciency peak nearer to synchronous speed. Fluid flows outwardly, with radial movement and whirl until energy is transferred to the turbine, taking full advantage of centrifugal and radial energy and achieves torque multiplication without stationary reaction vanes through controlled velocity and direction of flow by direct transfer of kinetic fluid energy from impeller to runner.

The intermediate rotating member with thin guide blades has uniform area passage for unimpeded flow of fluid for reduced turbulence and maximum use of centrifugal force of fluid. No reversal of direction of fluid flow occurs until it impinges on the driven runner blades whereupon it gives up its kinetic energy to the turbine runner in one stage.

Intermediate moving guide vanes add to the total angular momentum of fluid by'sustaining a high velocity head and giving the machine performance characteristics superior and different from torque converters as designed heretofor. Existing machines with fixed stationary runners have high losses which increase as to the square of the flow velocity of the fluid and definitely limit the machines usefulness, as their peak efliciency occurs when the driven runner has barely reached one-half the speed of the driving impeller whereafter the efficiency rapidly drops dueto the turbulence caused by the stationary reaction vanes.

Difference in diameter between impeller and runner results in torque differential .or torque moment between impeller and runner in direct proportion to said difference in diameter. While speed increases of impeller over runner multiplies torque of said runner in proportion to the square of the speed of the impeller (S and rearwardly to the direction of movement of the power of said runner in proportion to the cube of the speed (S of impeller. v

The combined rotating members constitute a turbine within a turbine, wherein the energy loss from impeller and intermediate guide member, both kinetic and frictional, are absorbed by runner which incloses it, leaving fluidslippage plus one-half driving torque of intermediate rotating member as only power loss. Thus all losses are accounted for, as output power equals input power minus fluid slippage, allowing torque converter to function as a fluid coupling at syn-,

chronous speed.

I claim: I

1. A hydro-kinetic turbine torque converter comprising an impeller including a shaft, means for driving the shaft, a plurality of arcuate impeller vanes mounted upon the impeller said impeller vanes being disposed outwardly and rearwardly to the direction of movement of the impeller, a reaction guide member having a plurality of arcuate reaction guide vanes surrounding the periphery of the impeller said guide vanes being disposed outwardly and forwardly to the direction of movement of the guide member, positive means for rotating the reaction guide member in the same direction as the impeller and at a fixed speed ratio thereto, a runner having a plurality of concaved runner vanes surrounding the periphery of the reaction guide member and means for continuously circulating fluid through the impeller vanes, reaction guidevanes and runner vanes to rotate the runner in the same direction as the impeller and the reaction guide member, a friction clutch between the runner and the impeller shaft, a driven shaft rigidly connected to the runner, and means controlled by the speed of the driven shaft for engaging and disengaging the clutch.

2. A hydro-kinetic turbine torque converter comprising an impeller including a shaft, means for driving the shaft, a plurality of arcuate impeller vanes mounted upon the impeller said impeller vanes being disposed outwardly and rearwardly to the direction of movement of the impeller, a reaction guide member having a plurality of arcuate reaction guide vanes surrounding the periphery of the impeller said guide vanes being disposed outwardly and forwardly to the direction of movement of the guide member, positive means for rotating the reaction guide member in the same direction as the impeller and at a fixed speed ratio thereto, a runner having a plurality of concaved runner vanes surrounding the periphery of the reaction guide member and means for continuously circulating fluid through the impeller vanes, reaction guide vanes and runner vanes to rotate the runner in the same direction as the impeller and the reaction guide member, a friction clutch between the runner and the impeller shaft, a driven shaft rigidly connected to the runner, a vacuum cylinder for operating the clutch and means controlled by the speed of the driven shaft for controlling the vacuum cylinder.

3. A hydro-kinetic turbine torque converter comprising an impeller including a shaft, means for driving the shaft, a plurality of arcuate impeller vanes mounted upon the impeller said impeller vanes being disposed outwardly and rearwardly to the direction of movement of the impeller, reaction guide member having a plurality of arcuate reaction guide vanes surrounding the periphery of the impeller said guide vanes being disposed outwardly and forwardly to the direction of movement of the guide member, positive means for rotating the reaction guide member in the same direction as the impeller and at a fixed speed ratio thereto, a runner having a plurality of concaved runner vanes surrounding the periphery of the reaction guide member and means for continuously circulating fluid through the impeller vanes, reaction guide vanes and runner vanes to rotate the runner in the same direction as the impeller and the reaction guide member, a friction clutch between the runner and the impeller shaft, a vacuum cylinder for operating the clutch, and a solenoid valve for controlling the vacuum cylinder.

4. A hydro-kinetic turbine torque converter comprising an impeller including a shaft, means for driving the shaft, a plurality of arcuate impeller vanes mounted upon the impeller said impeller vanes being disposed outwardly and rearwardly to the direction of movement of the impeller, a reaction guide member havin a plurality of arcuate reaction guide vanes surrounding the periphery of the'impeller said guide vanes being disposed outwardly and forwardly to the direction of movement of the guide member, positive means for rotating the reaction guide member in the same direction as the impeller and at a fixed speed ratio thereto, a runner having a plurality of concaved runner vanes surrounding the periphery of the reaction guide member and means for continuously circulating fluid through the impeller vanes, reaction guide vanes and runner vanes to rotate the runner in the same direction as the impeller and the reaction guide member, a friction clutch between the runner and the impeller shaft, a driven shaft rigidly connected to the runner, a vacuum cylinder for operating the clutch, a solenoid valve for controlling the vacuum cylinder, an electric 10 circuit for said solenoid valve, a governor upon the driven shaft for automatic-ally controlling said circuit and a manually operated switch for manually controlling said circuit.

RUSSELL W. GREGG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,122,303 Radcliffe Dec. 29, 1914 1,199,361 Fottinger Sept. 26, 1916 1,271,079 Radcliffe July 2, 1918 1,298,990 Mason Apr. 1, 1919 1,960,705 Kochling May 29, 1934 2,045,615 Rosle et al June 30, 1936 2,226,802 Black Dec. 31, 1940 2,227,336 J-amieson-Craig Dec. 31, 1940 2,235,672 Dodge Mar. 18, 1941 2,339,483 Jandasek Jan. 18, 1944 2,351,483 Carnagua June 13, 1944 2,377,009 Heyer May 29, 1945 2,381,682 Mayner Aug. 7, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 13,864 Great Britain 1906 450,763 Great Britain 1936 

